DTV - Great tool - FREE!

[reverbbb]

So, I bought two DTV converters with my government coupons. At the register, the total cost was about $10.70 for two converters with the coupons applied.

My TV antenna was mounted in the attic by the previous owners of my home. As I look around the neighborhood, I realize that there are no other antenna mounted on rooftops. But I am not getting all the channels and a couple are pixelated every once in a while. It occures to me that I either need a booster or more height.

I do some Internet research and find this very cool website:

www.tvfool.com

I enter my address and approximate the height my antenna is off the ground (16 feet). Low and behold, I am about 32~34 miles from the main broadcast towers. That is a definate need for height. 30 miles is on the fringes. The chart shows that I only have two strong signals and very few moderate signals. This supports what I am experiencing on my TV sets. I then enter 30 feet off the ground as a new height. BAM! Suddenly, there is about 25 stations with very strong signals. Amazing.

This website also tells me the exact direction to point my antenna. Since angles are always the same no matter how far, I place a straight edge on my monitor screen at the desired angle and hold it there. I then go to Google map and look up my address and change to satelite image mode. I zoom in and notice that the water tower that I have been concerned about is not in the LOS (Line Of Sight). Yet, a school and two buildings a 1/2 mile away are. I notice that I can aim the antenna right between the two buildings and at a clear reference point on the school across the street.

I just got off the roof from moving and positioning the antenna. I used all of this gathered data to help me adjust the position of my aim. PRESTO!!! I have 25 very clear DTV channels now.

I spent about 30 minutes gathering the data and 1-1/2 hours moving the antenna. From what I read, antenna technicians charge $50~$75/hour. I just saved myself $150 and have excellent DTV reception now.

Just thought I would pass it forward.

[GhostofJohnToad]

Thanks for the link. I'll be going down this road in a couple months, so this will come in handy. Isn't the internet great!

[Unseen]

Originally Posted by reverbbb

So, I bought two DTV converters with my government coupons. At the register, the total cost was about $10.70 for two converters with the coupons applied.

My TV antenna was mounted in the attic by the previous owners of my home. As I look around the neighborhood, I realize that there are no other antenna mounted on rooftops. But I am not getting all the channels and a couple are pixelated every once in a while. It occures to me that I either need a booster or more height.

I do some Internet research and find this very cool website:

www.tvfool.com

I enter my address and approximate the height my antenna is off the ground (16 feet). Low and behold, I am about 32~34 miles from the main broadcast towers. That is a definate need for height. 30 miles is on the fringes. The chart shows that I only have two strong signals and very few moderate signals. This supports what I am experiencing on my TV sets. I then enter 30 feet off the ground as a new height. BAM! Suddenly, there is about 25 stations with very strong signals. Amazing.

This website also tells me the exact direction to point my antenna. Since angles are always the same no matter how far, I place a straight edge on my monitor screen at the desired angle and hold it there. I then go to Google map and look up my address and change to satelite image mode. I zoom in and notice that the water tower that I have been concerned about is not in the LOS (Line Of Sight). Yet, a school and two buildings a 1/2 mile away are. I notice that I can aim the antenna right between the two buildings and at a clear reference point on the school across the street.

I just got off the roof from moving and positioning the antenna. I used all of this gathered data to help me adjust the position of my aim. PRESTO!!! I have 25 very clear DTV channels now.

I spent about 30 minutes gathering the data and 1-1/2 hours moving the antenna. From what I read, antenna technicians charge $50~$75/hour. I just saved myself $150 and have excellent DTV reception now.

Just thought I would pass it forward.

I think for those who didn't have cable available before, receiving digital TV for the first time will be a fantastic upgrade. And, I guess, it remains free TV right or have they figured out a way to send you a monthly bill?

Sorry if these questions betray ignorance: I'll plead ignorance from the get-go. "The only dumb question is the one you don't ask."

[reverbbb]

That's the beauty of it. The FCC requires that DTV is to be accessed for free, just like the analog of the past. Of coarse there are far fewer channels of interest than cable or satelite. We live in a world of expenses here in America. It is nice that the FCC is still requiring free anything.

Something else I learned, there are federal laws that override home owner associations and city ordaninaces that gives the citizen the right to errect external antenna or dish. Apparently, the FCC feels this is far more important than home owners associations that tried to restrict the cosmetics of a neigborhood. Receiving free TV/radio signal for public information is a critical US right, just like free 911 service (though you must pay for a phone service in general).

[Westerly Sunn]

Here's a link for a similar site:

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

[reverbbb]

Originally Posted by Unseen

I think for those who didn't have cable available before, receiving digital TV for the first time will be a fantastic upgrade.

I was certainly delighted to see the upgraded signal on my TV tubes. The colors are richer and very few transmission artifacts. The image is much sharper.

By contrast, the signal on my local cable has ghosts, is streaky and video noise that we just seemed to tolerate for so long. It has been said that this digital upgrade is as significant as upgrading from B&W to color broadcast back in the 1960s. I would have to agree.

Thanks Westerly Sunn for that additional link.

Footnote: Folks should not confuse DTV with HDTV. Many TV stations are concurrently offerring HDTV (High Definition) broadcasts for some programming - like their news and football games. HDTV offers a much higher resolution than DTV, except only HDTV equiped TV sets can benefit from the higher resolution. But the DTV signal has a higher resolution than the analog and is more clear. My DTV converter box does not have HDMI connection (Why would a converter need HDMI if the TV cannot display?). HDMI is for feeding HDTV signal from a device like Blue Ray, or a HDTV cable/satelite box. I have yet to learn if an HDTV ready TV set can get a HDTV signal from just an antenna coax cable.

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by reverbbb

...Something else I learned, there are federal laws that override home owner associations and city ordaninaces that gives the citizen the right to errect external antenna or dish. Apparently, the FCC feels this is far more important than home owners associations that tried to restrict the cosmetics of a neigborhood. Receiving free TV/radio signal for public information is a critical US right, just like free 911 service (though you must pay for a phone service in general).

Be careful on this one. There are FAA regulations about having permission and lights if your tower is too tall. Also, there have been monumental court battles with home owner's associations over the dish/antenna thing (the Ham guys have had to fight it too). The home owner's associations seem willing to fight in court even though they'll probably eventually lose. The thinking is that after you get your first lawyer's bill you'll just give up.

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by reverbbb

Footnote: Folks should not confuse DTV with HDTV. Many TV stations are concurrently offerring HDTV (High Definition) broadcasts for some programming - like their news and football games. HDTV offers a much higher resolution than DTV, except only HDTV equiped TV sets can benefit from the higher resolution. But the DTV signal has a higher resolution than the analog and is more clear. My DTV converter box does not have HDMI connection (Why would a converter need HDMI if the TV cannot display?). HDMI is for feeding HDTV signal from a device like Blue Ray, or a HDTV cable/satelite box. I have yet to learn if an HDTV ready TV set can get a HDTV signal from just an antenna coax cable.

Your TV has to have an ATSC (Advanced Television Standards Committee) tuner in it to receive DTV signals. MOST HDTVs currently do, but you need to check when it says 'HDTV Ready'. Most of the external tuner boxes in the lower price range (40-60$) are the type with analog outputs for conventional TV (525 line NTSC, well not REALLY 525 more like 476 but....).

Most of the primetime shows are in full HD these days. CBS and NBC are in 1080i, ABC and FOX are in 720p. MOST, not all, stations also run a side channel or two. The NBCs stations usually have a Weather Plus side channel. PBS stations run 2-3 channels. If you get a new set I'd recommend a 1080p set so you get all the lines of the 1080i, but when watching 720p you get all the non-interlaced goodness.

The ATSC standard (8VSB) is 19.3Mb/s total bitrate. What that means is that each station has that many bits to make up their picture. More side channels equals less bits on the main channel. Most side channels only run 2-3Mb/s though.

Here's a good link on ATSC:
http://broadcastengineering.com/mag/...atsc_standard/

[reverbbb]

Thanks for the info SMPTE.

I did not acknowledge the really tall towers. I am mostly concerned about the TV signal in the local region. I have a high roof line, thus a high chimney. My antenna is only about 6 feet higher than my chimney. There are trees all around me that are still higher than my antenna.

On your second reply, are you saying that HDTV can be recieved by my antenna through the coax if my TV can decode and display the signal? I already know my converter box cannot.

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by reverbbb

Thanks for the info SMPTE.

I did not acknowledge the really tall towers. I am mostly concerned about the TV signal in the local region. I have a high roof line, thus a high chimney. My antenna is only about 6 feet higher than my chimney. There are trees all around me that are still higher than my antenna.

On your second reply, are you saying that HDTV can be recieved by my antenna through the coax if my TV can decode and display the signal? I already know my converter box cannot.

If your TV has a built in DTV receiver, yes you can just put a regular set of rabbit ears or any other antenna into it and you're good to go, no converter box needed. It's what I do actually. I don't have cable or sat, and I'm a TV engineer.

Your BEST digital signal is off air. Period. All Stop. End of Argument.